Let's just ignore the fact that I've been MIA for months, and focus on the fact that I'm here now..

Sinmi's Beautique Show and Tell

A few weeks ago I was sent some products by the lovely Sinmi, CEO of the new cosmetic line, SinmisBeautique. The brand is London based and aims to be 'one stop for all things beauty' providing a range of false eyelashes, pigments and luminous powders. The company is fairly new, and so as time goes on there will be more variety in what they offer.

I was sent three pairs of lashes, three of their perfect pigments and one luminous powder. When I received the package, the first thing I noticed was the way it was all presented. She had individually wrapped all the items in light blue tissue paper and ribbons and included in the package was a spoolie, the business card and a little thank you note which I thought was really well thought out.

wearing halo luminous powder and bambi lash

lashes;

their lashes are 100% sterilized human hair and all handmade. They are beautiful to look at and can be worn daily depending on your preference. The bambi and double lashes are both hand stacked which means you're technically getting two for the price of one, however I personally think they look much better stacked. The packaging resembles the MAC eyelash packaging, with the SB logo printed in the centre. Prices range between £4-£6 depending on the style.

I was sent,

- the bambi lash (double stacked) --> MY FAVE

- the queen lash

- the double lash (double stacked)

bambi lash

double lash

queen lash

perfect pigments;

The perfect pigments are gorgeous and incredible pigmented loose pigments. They apply really smoothly and have good staying power. They come with sifters and are priced at £5 with 6 shades available. I LOVE the colour pay off of these. At first using the sifters was a bit annoying especially with regards to wasting product and mess however tipping the product into the lid helps to control how much you use as well as stopping it clumping on your brush.

i was sent,

- vienna, a soft purple pink with multi glitters

- milano, a chesnut brown with gold glitters

- imogen, a warm shimmery gold --> MY FAVE

personally I wouldn't use vienna on my eyelids as I'm not a fan however it would look amazing as a shimmery blush (especially on fair skin). From January, the pigments will be doubling in size so more for you money!!

milano

imogen

vienna

luminous powder;

I can't even begin to explain how deeply in love I am with this highlight. They are so reflective and so pigmented and honestly I can't even talk too much. These retail for £12 available in 3 shades.

i was sent,

- halo, a rose gold highlighter with pink undertones

This highlight is perfect for my complexion. I usually use gold deposit which is heaven sent but I've noticed that because we're in winter and I've gotten fairer, gold deposit is a bit too bronzey sometimes and can make me look a little over bronzed for the temp. Halo works so well because it has that amazing shine that looks almost wet and blends easily, with some bronzey pigments that have been blended with the pink to just look warm and cool and fun and so so pretty. It can look a little 'glittery' versus shine sometimes so be aware of how you apply it.

Uni is literally around the corner and if you're anything like me it's probably dawned on you that you have nothing to wear (with a wardrobe full of clothes). When it comes to my uni wardrobe I'm trying to stick to more basic pieces that will be easier for me to mix and match, stay comfy and still look good.

I've jumped back onto Polyvore (follow me here) for outfit inspo and also because it provides a nice layout for collages like this which will make outfit posts/wishlists easier to create. Follow me > joanneokiaa

Here are some of my autumn/winter uni essentials good for transitioning between seasons.

Leather/bomber jacket

A good leather or bomber jacket is defo an essential for me. I prefer bombers personally as they're a bit more casj and I find leather jackets a bit restricting at times. These are good for layering on colder days but can also be worn on not so cold days.

"A #GIRLBOSS is
in charge of her own life. She gets what she wants because she works for
it"

I've recently finished reading the book #GIRLBOSS by Sophia
Amoruso, founder and CEO of fashion retailer 'Nasty Gal', and after the first
chapter knew I wanted to share the book with you guys. Before reading this
book, I had some knowledge on Sophia Amoruso because as someone who intends on
being an entrepreneur, I like to read up on successful and young female entrepreneurs
to gain my knowledge and help assimilate the skills I may need later on in my
career. Reading it 'changed my life' or rather supercharged my current mindset
with regards to working hard to getting where I want to be.

I've decided to do a mini review so answer some general
questions on the book as someone suggested it but the main focus on this blog
post was to share 5 of the key things I've learnt from it. When I say on nearly
every page I learnt something new, best believe it, but in order to not bore
you on the things that I gathered which could be subjective just buy the book
lmao.

5 things I learnt from #GIRLBOSS

1) "Abandon anything about your life and habits that
might be holding you back. Learn to create your own opportunities."

So many people depend on other people creating opportunities for them or put down their lack of a success due to external (situational factors if u do pyschology lol) versus internal factors such as laziness or lack of skill.

Recently I've come to terms with the fact that not everyone or everything in my life is contributing to it in a positive way. I am learning to abandon bad habits, for example I have a habit of procrastinating hence why I'm always randomly uploading posts. I'm not a person to sit and wait for people to do things for me but now I'm making a conscious effort to be in control of my life.

2)"You don't have to choose between smart and
sexy"

This 'lesson' was so nice to hear from someone in suchhh a high position as Sophia. This idea of a woman not being able to be sexy and smart at the same time is a ridiculous, chauvinistic, ignorance fuelled claim that honestly needs to die.

Because I chose to spend time on my appearance and make myself look and feel good, I have always had people doubt my intelligence or come at me with the 'bimbo' bullshit. Unfortunately we live in a society where a lot of people automatically assume you're either or.

This quote reminded me of the power having both holds. Sex sells doesn't it? And brains can get you far, so imagine combining the both of those together? Now think about it..

3)"Knowing your customer and knowing how to get free
marketing"

This is more of something business buillding versus character building, but important all the same. The quote is self explanatory but this taught me that having a good social media presence is important and can really contribute to a businesses success.

4) "When your time spent making money is significantly
greater than your time spent spending money, you will be amazed at how much you
can save"

It's not everyday image gang. Sometimes stack your money in silence and focus on working and saving. I am quite good at saving, however I have a bad habit of using the money I'm allowed to spend, on things like food.. which is not a worthwhile investment at all 😭. A quote that I think needs framing is "money looks better in the bank than on your feet".

5) "Treat your thoughts like dollar bills: don't waste
'em"

This ties into the negativity post I previously did (read HERE) but its a funner way to think of it aha. Don't waste precious time or thoughts where they're not needed. Speaking things into existence works BOTH WAYS. So when all you do is think about so and so, don't complain when so and so becomes very local.

QUICK REVIEW

How would you describe this book?

Not necessarily a self help book on how to run a business .
Because of Sophia's writing style, the book seems like you're receiving advice
from an older sister or a mentor. She's encouraging the reader to be more
creative, to aim for higher, to want to work hard and to take chances. It's
like an advice book and her story all in one.

Who is it aimed for?

Self motivated people: This book doesn't spoon feed you - you need to have an
existing motivation and this book is kinda like that final kick up the arse. Also, It
isn't just for girls despite what the title may suggest lol

Things I liked

- the honesty

- every chapter begins with a relevant quote, with several
embedded and I like quotes

-the style of her writing

- the broadness of topics she covers

Things I disliked

- there were some bits were the story bits about her life
get long to read

I read a lot so if you guys like this type of thing let me know and I'll make it a regular thing!!

The weather has up until this weekend been surprisingly nice, which has allowed for some fun days out.

I went with Judith for a chance for both of us to play around with shooting, and I also got a chance to finally get behind the camera and take some pictures of Judith as well which I'll be blogging soon.

I'm in love with halterneck tops all year round but especially during summer,as well as my new Missguided sandals which I got in the sale for only £11.

Once I sort out my tripod I'll be able to post more outfit posts without having to rely on others taking my pics. Annnnd I am going to attempt an upload schedule so theres some consistency and you guys know when I'll be uploading.

I love buying new make-up, and although I like higher end products, I can't always justify spending so much so frequently.These are some products I've bought this month, some I've been loving, some not as much.